Confidence
by KaorinPaintsTheStars
Summary: On the night before her encounter with Volt, Sheena gets some supportive help from Presea. Oneoff short.


A/N: Just a little short. Sometimes talking about your problems helps, right? And sometimes that help can come from unexpected places. I doubt in terms of storyline i've got the characterisation/conversations down 100 but I normally try to stick to them so rigidly that it was fun just to write something a little more loose for a change. Ho hum. Don't beast me too much. :)

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The mild night wind brought the scent of outside into the tent in waves – the smoky fragrance of the extinguished campfire filtering through the slightly open flaps and blurring the otherwise sharp outline of the moonlight as it spilled inside.

Sheena fidgeted under her blanket, listening to the soft rhythmic breathing coming from a sleeping Presea beside her. The young girl had retired much earlier than the others, keeping to an almost mechanical timetable where daily functions were involved, but had woken up briefly when Sheena had turned in for the night. The purple haired woman felt a little bad for disturbing her, but she had said it was no problem. Even so, Sheena couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable at Presea's cold, artificial dialogue, despite the pink haired girl's amiable nature.

She ran fingers through her long hair and rolled over; trying to subdue the restlessness that had crept into her mind since retiring to the shared tent, but it was no use. Tomorrow was the big day – the day she would have to face Volt again and this time, _this time_, succeed in her task.

_Volt_. It wasn't going to be easy, but it had at least seemed possible a week or two ago. Now, with the temple just beyond the craggy hills they were camped on, it felt completely hopeless.

Sheena paused, realising then that her hands were shaking. She clasped them together in an effort to still them, but they only grew worse, as if in defiance of her actions. A cold sweat began to form on the purple haired woman's brow and she sat up to try and calm her breathing.

This is stupid; she chastised herself – hating the fact that she _still_ kept acknowledging the dread feeling with fear. I can do this. I _can_! I've done it so far, right? Well, in _practice _anyway. But why should this be any different?

She knew the answer though as soon as she had thought the question. What if it happens again? What if I fail…and let them down the same way I did with the Chief and the others…

Sheena felt her eyes grow slightly damp as the old memories came flooding back, and she wiped a hand across them angrily. If the others died because of her inability to form a pact… If _Lloyd_…

_Enough already_, she told herself bitterly as she climbed to her feet and threw on some travelling clothes. No point brooding on it now. Just go for a walk or something.

The campsite looked eerily lonely in the pale moonlight as Sheena left the tent. Three other tents completed the circle, each facing inward towards an extinguished campfire. She was sure that she had heard Lloyd and Colette's voices until a short while ago, but they both must have gone to bed.

The light breeze whistled its way through the rocks and long grass as Sheena left the campsite and began walking along a steep, curving path up the mountainous hill – surprisingly well illuminated by the weak light. The going was rough, and soon the purple haired girl's legs began to ache, but the fatigue felt good – as if it was cleansing her mind of doubt and concern. The small moon, accompanied by clusters of stars, hung high above in approval of her solitary journey.

She soon reached the crest of the hill, littered by large weathered rocks and similar natural debris, and paused, gasping for breath – wiping away strands of sweat soaked hair as she took in the view before her.

A meter or so away from her position, the ground dropped into a steep decline so that, past the peak, the hill practically became a cliff. A thin natural spring gurgled softly as it trickled from a crack in a rocky outcrop nearby – flowing down over the edge. Towards the base of the hill far below, the ground curved out and flowed into vast plains of long grass that rippled as it danced with the wind. In the distance, Sheena could just make out the black silhouette that marked out the temple and felt herself shudder involuntarily at the sight.

By this time tomorrow it will all be over, she thought as she took a seat on a soft, mossy section of rock. There was a certain comfort in knowing that what was going to happen was inevitable, and that worrying about it wouldn't change things. But still…

She hugged her knees close to her chest as she watched the moonlight cast its eye on the ocean of long grass far below. The scene was quite inviting, and she felt as though she could just go down and run forever through the overgrown plains. Sheena closed her eyes while the image was still fresh in her mind and used it to collect her thoughts, meditating in order to prepare herself for the day ahead.

The plains were in daylight in her mind – with a low, bright sun hanging alone in a cloudless sky and a warm, gentle breeze rustling through the long grass. Sheena imagined herself walking through the greenery, her hands reaching out to let the tall blades pass through her fingers. She inhaled deeply, feeling her heartbeat slow and a strange calm pass throughout her body at the tranquillity of the location.

A solitary bird flew overhead, and as the young lady followed the shadow it cast on the grass, she became aware of a presence behind her. Turning, Sheena saw Lloyd stood just a few feet away, looking down at the ground.

"Lloyd?" What was he doing here? And how?

The young man looked up, and a sudden gust of wind erupted around Sheena as their eyes met. She turned her head away for a moment, feeling her hair and clothes flutter wildly in the strong breeze. The moment passed quickly but, when she looked back, Lloyd had gone.

Sheena felt the blood rise in her cheeks and her heartbeat quicken as she scanned the area where the young man had been standing. Was that part of the meditation? Had she imagined him? And why Lloyd?

"Sheena. Is there an anomaly?"

The young girl came to her senses with a jolt, blinking away the last traces of the imagery brought on by the meditative state. She turned her gaze from the plains far below to see Presea stood a little distance behind her on the hill path, her expression unreadable. Sheena gave a sheepish grin, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Uh…no, nothing's wrong. Just wanted to have a think, that's all."

The strengthening breeze was playing havoc with Presea's loose hair. Evidently she had been asleep until just recently.

"I see. Does the location aid you with your thinking?"

Sheena looked about. She _had_ come a long way from the campsite. "Ah…I guess it does, yeah. Sorry if I woke you when I left."

Presea shook her head. "It is of no concern. I am a light sleeper. Your absence from the campsite has been significant though, so I thought it would be wise for me to check that nothing was wrong."

Sheena looked up at the moon to see that it had changed position significantly from before her meditative trance. "Oh. I didn't think I had been gone so long," she replied ruefully.

"Approximately 3 hours and 42 minutes before I came to look for you." Presea looked around. "I am…relieved to find you here. I was beginning to run out of places to search."

"What?" Sheena climbed to her feet. _Nearly four hours?_ "You've been searching for me? You didn't need to do that. I'm fine."

"I calculated that it was for the best if I made sure. You have been acting…slightly different the last few days…I think," she added hastily. "Perhaps I was mistaken. My observational skills are not proficient in this area."

"Nah, I'm fine." Sheena looked back across at the stretch of long grass near the temple of lightning on the horizon, feeling the beginnings of doubt return to the back of her mind. "Well…maybe not _exactly_ fine, but there's not much that can be done about it."

Presea walked forward to join Sheena at the edge of the hill, where the ground dropped away. She remained silent for a few seconds, apparently thinking. Sheena wasn't sure whether or not she should be saying something, and began to feel slightly uncomfortable again.

"Would it aid you in any way to…talk about it?" The pink haired girl's voice sounded awkward and unsure. Sheena could see why, for it was something Presea rarely asked, and the question seemed quite touching in a way.

"How long have you got?" She laughed softly and without humour, thinking about the tragedy that had occurred last time she had tried to form a pact with Volt.

"There is close to five hours before dawn," replied Presea. "Though I would advise against staying here for that long. Lack of sleep and prolonged exposure to the cold will have an ill effect on you."

"That's not what I meant," Sheena said with a smile. It certainly was awkward talking to the young girl. "I just meant that there was a lot of…ah forget it, it doesn't really matter anyway."

"Oh…I see." Presea looked a little hurt to Sheena and the purple haired woman instantly regretted her words. After all, she sounded before as though she probably _wanted_ to help.

Sheena sat herself down against a rock, facing the plains. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude. If you want to hear it then you can, but it'll be kinda boring." And stupid, she added mentally.

Presea moved to sit beside Sheena. "I do not mind. I have noticed recently that when people listen to others problems it seems to help to some degree." She picked at the moss on a small stone beside her. "I…thought I would try it too."

Sheena smiled. It was a nice sentiment. "Heh, I appreciate it. I'm probably just being stupid, but I'm just a little…nervous about tomorrow." Well, make that a lot, her mind added.

Presea frowned. "Nervous. About…Volt?"

"Yeah…I'm worried, mainly that I'm going to mess things up again and people are going to get hurt."

"Yes. I think I understand. It is a reasonable concern, for the anticipated success rate against such a powerful being is not particularly high."

"Um…yeah." Not exactly the kind of supportive conversation Sheena was hoping for, but she couldn't deny what the pink haired girl was saying.

Presea seemed to realise the negative tint to her words, as she shifted and shook her head. "…Forgive me. I…guess my skills at this kind of activity are somewhat limited. Is it likely you will make a mistake again? I am sure your skills have improved dramatically from before."

Sheena paused, watching the rippling long grass in the distance, before nodding. "I…guess I've got a little better. Probably not by much though."

"I think that statement is incorrect," Presea replied, stretching her arms high. "You have an incredible mastery over your skills. I have observed you in combat – and although I have no knowledge of the pact making process, I am sure that you possess the required abilities."

Sheena didn't know whether Presea was just saying that to cheer her up, but such a thing did not seem to be in her nature. The favourable words cheered the purple haired girl's spirits though, and she managed a small smile.

"You sure you haven't done this before?"

"Ah…no," Presea looked away for a moment and resumed picking at the moss. Was she embarrassed? "…If my words have been of any help then that is a good thing. I was just speaking from fact though."

"It _did_ help. I guess, deep down, I know I've got what it takes to do this. I'm just scared of repeating what happened before."

Presea looked across at Sheena. "If it happens, then it happens. It is understandable to feel trepidation about the event, but it will not influence or change the encounter. If we are destined to win, then we will win." She smiled, and the action threw Sheena slightly. "All we can do is do our best."

_Our best._ Sheena nodded. "Yeah, do our best."

Presea tossed a fragment of moss over the edge of the hill. "Affirmative. I will increase my efforts as much as possible to aid you, and I am sure the others will too. Do not forget that this time you will have the support of all of us."

"Right! I'll make sure that I succeed this time. For all of you, and for all of those I failed before." Sheena squeezed a hand into a fist and nodded. "Yeah! I can _do_ this!" It was strange, for this time she actually believed it.

The purple haired girl turned to Presea. "Thanks for this…I owe you one."

Presea smiled again. "I am…relieved I was of some help. I consider you a…" she paused for a second, considering. "…Close friend, so you do not need to thank me."

A close friend? Sheena let the words repeat themselves in her head for a few moments. It was unusual to hear such words from Presea, but the young girl was so hard to read sometimes that it was difficult to tell _what_ she thought. "Really?"

"Yes." Presea looked at the ground. "I would reason that it probably does not show, but it _is_ what I think. Friend, close friend, companion, acquaintance, ally. These labels confuse me. They are variables, which seem to be addressed to people frequently, but sometimes irregularly and inconsistently. I have spent some time attempting to analyse them and applying them to those who I travel with. I believe the term 'close friend' applies the most. You are…nice to me, you make me laugh and you always make an effort to include me in things." She paused, and then smiled a little. "I realise that it is probably…difficult, but it _is_ appreciated – so I will try to return the kindness whenever I can."

"Ah…um, I didn't know that." Sheena returned the smile, feeling an increase in happiness and confidence spread through her body. She hadn't realised Presea felt that way. She gently punched the pink haired girl's shoulder affectionately with her fist, mentally noting that she'd work even more at being her friend. "Cool, then I'll do that too!"

Presea blinked. "I do not understand…what is the purpose of striking me?"

Sheena grinned ruefully, rubbing the back of her head. "Aha, um…just camaraderie I guess."

"It is a…friendship thing then?"

Sheena nodded. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"I see…Understood, then I will try it too."

Pain flared up in Sheena's arm as Presea delivered her friendly punch a little harder than the purple haired girl was expecting.

"Did I…do it correctly?" Presea inquired, looking down at her hand.

Sheena rubbed her arm. "Ah…well, it's normally done a little lighter – but it doesn't matter."

Presea looked back up. "Understood. I will minimise the strength of the impact for next time." The pink haired girl stretched and moved to stand. "It would be wise to return and try to get some sleep before tomorrow. Fatigue will not help us."

"Yeah, you're right." Sheena stood up, staring back out across the ocean of grass at the temple of lightning. The structure lurked foreboding, a silhouette darker than even the night sky. And somewhere within the temple Volt rested. _Waiting_.

The young summoner-to-be shook her head and smiled. This time she was going to do it _right_.


End file.
